This invention relates to the field of armaments and particularly to mechanical triggers, catapults, petards and other structures for positioning and moving or triggering explosive charges.
A number of attempts have been made to adapt the "shaped-charge" and the "high explosive plastic" or "squash-charge", which are manufactured in large numbers and readily available, to the requirements of an anti-tank device. These shaped-charge designs have been directed at the tasks of (a) disabling the vehicle's running gear U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,354; U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,062, (b) penetrating one of the sides of the tank U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,864; U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,271 or (c) penetrating the floor of the tank as it passes over the mine U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,532; U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,775.
Bearce, U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,354, shows a land mine having a spring biased firing pin which is retracted when disarmed and extends upwardly/outwardly when armed. The mine, which is pie-shaped, is intended to be buried and explodes with a shaped charge when the firing pin is depressed.
The triggering of the firing pin occurs when an armored vehicle or other vehicle runs/rolls over the firing pin. Auge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,062 likewise shows a shaped charge mine directed to limiting the direction of the explosive force of the mine. The Auge mine has a spring loaded extendable firing pin which when armed (extended), explodes the charge by impacting the detonator. These devices are designed to be buried below the surface of the ground.
Thomanek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,864 shows an above ground structure having spaced electrified rods forming the closing switch for firing a shell from an above-ground tank belt-line height launcher.
Heidmann, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,271, shows an anti-tank mine which is an armor piercing shell fired from an above-ground launcher, this launcher being capable of being pivoted into one of four firing positions usually spaced 90 degrees apart, by the tripping of one of four detector cables which act as a location detector and a guidance means when the tread of the tank snags a particular cable.
Both of these devices require above-ground apparatus and sophisticated, time-consuming deployment.
Roberts, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,532 and Held, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,775, each show buried mines with proximity detectors. The Roberts device uses a pressure sensitive detonator positioned just beneath the ground surface to detonate a shaped charge or to detonate a shell buried further below the surface.
The Held device is a firing mechanism for a buried charge. This firing mechanism involves a delicately balanced vibration detector.
To deploy the Roberts and the Held devices very skilled personnel and ample time are required.
Many other types of mines have also been patented. These have been directed to various shaped charge designs, various spring biased detonator designs and various pressure and proximity detectors.
Those prior art designs which employ the shaped-charge and the squash-charge in mines which are otherwise of conventional design achieve a marginal improvement over standard anti-tank mines, but they are unlikely to do more than immobilize vehicles. Designs which are aimed at applying the shaped and squash-charge to the sides of the tank require uncertain means of activation such as electrical tripping, wire tracks and guidance devices. Moreover, since modern tanks are improving their belt armor through such means as lamination, reactivity, and spent uranium mesh reinforcement precisely in order to defeat munitions such as these, mines employed in this manner are of dubious value. Those designs discussed above which endeavor to defeat an armored vehicle by penetrating its relatively thin underside either fail to place the explosive charge at the optimal distance from the tank's floor plate or they require careful and time-consuming implantation, a firing mechanism of some delicacy and a projection apparatus. The implantation of such devices is a laborious and lengthy task. A rapidly changing, modern battlefield would seldom afford the leisure time necessary to effectuate such a defense. The labor-intensive efforts necessary in laying such a field would require the assembly of sizeable bodies of engineers who would both present an inviting target and reveal the fact that a defense was being prepared.
What is desired is a simple yet effective mine activator assembly which can be easily and quickly deployed and which is reliable in its design. What is also desired is an activator assembly which, when tripped by a tank, inerrably places its munition in a position impingent against the underside of a tank or armored vehicle.